About Us

If you believe that a covered entity violated your (or someone else's) civil rights or health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, you may file a complaint with OCR.

Federal civil rights laws and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, together protect your fundamental rights of nondiscrimination and health information privacy. Civil rights laws help to protect you from unfair treatment or discrimination, because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, or religion. The Privacy Rule protects the privacy of your health information; it says who can look at and who can receive your health information, and also gives you specific rights over that information. In addition, the Patient Safety Act and Rule establish a voluntary reporting system to enhance the data available to assess and resolve patient safety and health care quality issues and provides confidentiality protections for patient safety concerns.

If you need help filing a civil rights or health information privacy complaint, please email OCR at OCRMail@hhs.gov or call 1-800-368-1019. We provide alternative formats (such as Braille and large print), auxiliary aids and services (such as a relay service), and language assistance.

If you need other information on this web site translated or provided in alternative formats, please email us at OCRMail@hhs.gov.